Meltdown
Meltdown is an annual festival held in London, featuring a mix of music, art, performance and film. Meltdown is held in June at Southbank Centre, the arts complex covering 21 acres (85,000 m2) and including the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward. Each year the festival chooses an established music artist or act as director of the event and they pick the performers of their choosing. Previous Meltdown directors have included Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Patti Smith, Lee Scratch Perry, Morrissey, Jarvis Cocker, Nick Cave, Scott Walker, John Peel and Ornette Coleman. The festival has been held annually since 1993, except in 2006 when the Royal Festival Hall was closed for refurbishment. In 2018, Robert Smith, lead singer of The Cure, curated the 25th Meltdown. Previous Curators 1993 George Benjamin The London Philharmonic Orchestra with conductors George Benjamin & Franz Welser-Möst, Ensemble Modern with conductor Markus Stenz, percussionists James Wood, Robert van Sice and Emmanuel Séjourné and soprano Sara Stowe, Nikolai and Valery Mongoush, London Sinfonietta, Hatton Hodgson, Paul Burwell 1994 Louis Andriessen Housewatch, Icebreaker, City Degung Gamelon Ensemble, Piano Circus, The Steve Martland Band, Mecklenburgh Opera Ensemble, Bang on a Can All Stars, Gavin Bryars Ensemble, Philip Glass, Alain Platel and Les Ballets C de la B, Asko Ensemble 1995 Elvis Costello Jeff Buckley, Keith Tippett, The Jazz Passengers, Marc Ribot, Brodsky Quartet, BJ Cole's Transparent Music Trio, Bill Frisell Trio, Steve Nieve, The London Sinfonietta, The Wooden Indians, The Angell Piano Trio, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Anúna and the Sabri Brothers, Moondog, June Tabor, Huw Warren, Mark Emerson, Patricia Rozario, Fretwork, The Composers Ensemble, Michael McGlynn, Elvis Costello 1996 Magnus Lindberg Ibimil and Yat-Kha, Trevor Wishart, Electric Phoenix, Sonic Arts Network, Bruce Gilbert, Heiner Goebbels, David Moss, Ernst Stotzner, Varttina and Leningrad Cowboys, London Sinfonietta, Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Avantil 1997 Laurie Anderson DJ Scanner, Ivor Cutler, Lou Reed, Spalding Gray, Gidon Kremer and his Tango Group, Ken Nordine, Arto Lindsay, Alan Read, Heather Woodbury Meltdown 1998 (John Peel) 1999 Nick Cave Question Mark & the Mysterians, Barry Humphries, Bonnie Prince Billy, Console, Faust, Gary Lucas, Kleidler, Nina Simone, Syd Straw, Dirty Three, To Rococo Rot, Van Dyke Parks, Polly Borland, Tony Clark, Lee Hazlewood 2000 Scott Walker Mark-Anthony Turnage, Asian Dub Foundation, Blur, Cicala Mvta, Clinic, Evan Parker, Jarvis Cocker, Jim O'Rourke, Luc Bondy, Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Tom McRae, Clearlake, Richard Alston Dance Company, Smog Meltdown 2001 (Robert Wyatt) Meltdown 2002 (David Bowie) 2003 Lee "Scratch" Perry Fun Lovin' Criminals, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Stateside Hombres, The Sun Ra Arkestra, Asian Dub Foundation, Tortoise, The Bees, Mad Professor Meltdown 2004 (Morrissey) 2005 Patti Smith Antony and the Johnsons, Balanescu Quartet, Bert Jansch, Beth Orton, Billy Bragg, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Carbon/Silicon, Cat Power, Ed Harcourt, Eels, Flea, Fred Frith, Hank Williams III, Janet Hamill, Jeff Beck, Joanna Newsom, John Cale, John Frusciante, Johnny Marr and Robyn Hitchcock, Kevin Shields, Kristin Hersh, Lemn Sissay, Lenny Kaye, Loso, Martha Wainwright, Marc Almond, Rachid Taha, Richard Hell, Roy Harper, Sinéad O'Connor, Steve Earle, Television, Tinariwen, Tori Amos, Yat-Kha, Yoko Ono 2006 N/A Royal Festival Hall closed for refurbishment 2007 Jarvis Cocker Cornershop, Iggy & The Stooges, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Motörhead, Devo, Melanie Safka, Roky Erickson, Sunn O))), Littl'ans, Scout Niblett, Selfish Cunt, KPM Allstars, John Barry, The Valerie Project, 1990s, Mathew Sawyer and The Ghosts, Clinic 2008 Massive Attack Massive Attack, Gong, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Reggae Acoustic Songbook, Princess Malachi, Elbow, Fleet Foxes, The Heritage Orchestra: Music from Blade Runner, Stiff Little Fingers, Mark Stewart, The Maffia, Adrian Sherwood, The Shortwave Set, Martina Topley, Grace Jones, Dälek, The Cool Kids, Shape Of Broad Minds, Flying Lotus, Gang Of Four, Tom Tom Club, Terry Callier, Aloe Blacc, Tunng, Leila, Saxon Sound System with Musclehead, Tippa Irie, Trevor Sax and Papa Levi, Silent Disco with guests DJs including Four Tet and Peaches 2009 Ornette Coleman The Roots, David Murray with the Gwo-Ka Masters and Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band with Sean Lennon and Cornelius, Baaba Maal, Yo La Tengo, Moby, Bobby McFerrin, Patti Smith and The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Master Musicians of Jajouka, Charlie Haden and the Liberation Music Orchestra with Carla Bley, Robert Wyatt and The Bad Plus 2010 Richard Thompson Elvis Costello, The Duckworth Lewis Method, Joe Henry, Paolo Nutini, Van Dyke Parks, Tom Robinson, Seasick Steve, Loudon Wainwright III, Al-Thawra, The Kominas Meltdown 2011 (Ray Davies) Meltdown 2012 (Anohni) Meltdown 2013 (Yoko Ono) Meltdown 2014 (James Lavelle) Meltdown 2015 (David Byrne) 2016 Guy Garvey Femi Kuti, Kog & The Zongo Brigade, This Is The Kit, I Am Kloot performing Sky At Night, The Staves, Connan Mockasin, STEVE, Laura Marling, Marika Hackman, Richard Hawley, Mano McLaughlin, Howe Gelb Meltdown 2017 (M.I.A.) Meltdown 2018 (Robert Smith)